The Forest of Faylight

Far away from civilization is a beautiful forest, ruled by the fay. The crowning jewel of this is a reclusive village of elves, best known for their vast library and magical knowledge. Of course where this village is actually located is uncertain. You see the village is located in the trees and the trees of this forest are alive, moving wherever they feel like it with little thought to mortals before they return to their sleep.

These strange trees and the various nature spirits who enjoy playing harmless pranks... except to the cruel whom they will mislead and punish, keep most without magic out of the forest. All those who do come and treat the forest with respect, however, often find a paradise. The game is plentiful, the river pure, and the sunlight streaming through the trees during the day, or gentle breeze at night, is neither too warm or too cool. It is indeed a forest of light. So explore, rest, and find where the whimsey of the forest leads you.

Rules

1. All characters must have a weakness.

2. You must use three or more sentences per post.

3. The elf village may eventually present itself for plot, we'll see where it goes, but I prefer I handle it if it does. Other then that feel free to play with the nature spirits of the forest as you please as npcs.

4. When using the profile form QUOTE it so the formatting is correct. Otherwise I will send it back to you and request you do so. Make sure to include the 'user name' part with the formatting and replace your username with yours. Thank you!

5. To Join just pm me a profile form and post! You don't need to wait for my response, everyone is automatically accepted. The 'profile' or appearance form really, is just so everyone knows who is playing who and what all the characters look like for benefit of their interaction ability. Even the race is just for the magical who sense it to be able to think 'omg that's a vampire, I totally don't like those' or what ever suits them and develop their character.

Profile Forms

Use only one.

If have a picture

~Username’s Characters~
Picture(preferably clickable thumbnail. If you can not provide one just link your picture and I'll handle it)

Name:
Race:
Apparent Age: (age they appear when compared to a human being, since in a picture it's not always clear unless they are a child or over eighty.)
Height: (since in pics it's not always clear but you can generally tell whose taller face to face)
Profession: (Mage? Knight? Thief? Etc.)
Personality:
*Feel free to delete any not necessary/relevant. Also if you feel any physical features are not clear in the picture but want known (such as piercings/scars/etc.) just add the relevant tag from below.

Or if you don’t have a picture

~Username’s Characters~

Name:
Race:
Apparent Age: (age they appear when compared to a human being.)
Eye Description/Color:
Hair Description/Color: (color, style, etc)
Skin tone/Color:
Height:
Build:
Scars/Tattoos:
Piercings:
Natural Skin Markings or Birthmarks:
Inhuman Features:
Clothing Style:
Profession: (Mage? Knight? Thief? Etc.)
Personality:
*Feel free to delete any not necessary/relevant

The Explorers and Residents of Faylight

With Picture

~Staria’s Characters~

Name:Sophia Zoe Achosi
Race: Vampiric Being, born unknown. Smells heavily of magic.
Apparent Age: Late Teens
Height: 5'7''
Eye Description/Color: It is a bright blue and very long. She wears it in a long braid with two shorter strands to the front. The shorter strands seem to hold some sort of significance to her as she takes care to keep them short and bound. The braid is folded behind her in the picture.
Hair Description/Color: They are both are hazel but appear very different at a glance. The right eye has a more bright green center 'eight point star/starburst' type patter which fades to leave the outer edges to gold. The left eye is the opposite, with a gold center 'star' and green edging. Both have a matching, dark jade ring around the edges.
Profession: Traveling Mage, Herbologist, and Beast tamer. She helps heal the sick and find peaceful solutions for getting rid of various magical beasts.
Personality: She is intensely shy around people but seems to like and trust animals, even able to chat happily with them. She often has her companion speak for her and seems a little afraid of people. Once she is use to you she is very sweet natured, kind hearted, and supportive but is very self deprecating, as if she loves life and kindness but views herself as a monster. She tends to be gentle when not 'feeding' her curse and seems to like everyone around her to be happy. She always has a small ferret with her that she found injured and nursed to health.

~Kry’s Characters~

Name: Naru
Race: Nature Spirit
Apparent Age: 20
Height: 6'0
Profession: Familiar/Protector
Personality: Protective of his mistress, he would do anything to ease her pain and keep her safe. Naru will be rude to people he thinks are unworthy of his mistress' attention or if he thinks they are being mean to her. He doesn't like to see any one in pain really, but he will be quick to cause someone pain if they do anything against his mistress.

Without Picture

~Hidden Cupcake’s Characters~

Name: Adax
Race: Human. He smells of sickness.
Apparent Age: 32
Eye Description/Color: Adax's eyes are dark like coals and nearly as dull. Little light reflects off them normally, instead making them look waxy when viewed in direct light.
Hair Description/Color: His hair is black and wiry, unkempt and reaching his shoulders. Grey has streaked into his hair, primarily around his face temples.
Skin tone/Color: Adax's skin is quite naturally tan and his complexion is....rather bad. His skin is greasy and rough to the touch, dulling the natural color of his skin to a lighter tone.
Height: 5'9"
Build: Adax has a runner's build; strong legs muscles and a lean physique.
Scars/Tattoos: Adax's torso and arms are covered with nasty scars, telling the story of a barely survived assault on his life when he was much younger.
Clothing Style: Adax's clothing consists of a white cloth tunic and white cloth pants. A rope belt is wrapped tightly around his waist. His shoulders are draped in a white cloak trimmed in a black diamond pattern. The clasp at his neck is a silver moon motif. The hood is always drawn. His feet are covered in leather shoes. Carries two leather bags, each filled with survival tools and other various equipment. Also carries around a gourd bottle, the surface painted and carved in strange symbols. The gourd smells of rotting souls to those with the ability to detect and appears to whisper in many voices at random intervals.
Profession: A travelling alchemist by trade, Adax sells his strange concoctions to earn enough money to at least get by in towns. The alchemist gig is simply a cover though as his true skills lie in the necromantic arts. In fact, half the concoctions he sells are made from parts harvested from graves or the dead he finds on the road.
Personality: Quiet and reserved, Adax doesn't like to speak unless spoken to first. Even then he sometimes keeps it quick. Is rather secretive about his life and reasons for his travels. Is quite protective of the gourd bottle at his side, becoming violent if it is touched or taken without permission. He has become secretive as of late of the towns he recently visited, looking away with shame if any are brought up or asked about.

The River Side

The sunlight was fading as it glinted off the river, flickering and sparkling like dancing fairies and the water was slightly more green then blue from the orange of the evening light. The river was moving at a steady but gentle pace which added to the illusion, the sound of it mingling with the gentle singing of birds. The air was filled with the fragrance of flowers, many of which grew along the banks among twisted vines. It was a moment of peace, where even the trees and most lifeless stones simply enjoyed existing. Nearby stood a girl and her companion...

The Girl

Sophia had been walking sometime and was rather grateful when she had found the river. She couldn't help but admire it a moment, watching how the light sparkled. There was briefly some joy in those mismatched hazel eyes and she was almost afraid to move lest the odd magic of the moment break. The ferret on her shoulder, however, had no such qualms and dashed forward. It instantly went to take a drink only to be splashed by a fairy that had been hiding among the glints of light. The ferret jumped back and squeaked at the tiny fairy who simply disappeared, fading to nothing. Of course, Sophia was too far back to see the fairy as it had been less then two inches tall in that form but she could guess what had happened as she listened to the rodent complain to the air.

”Silly, you found it's hiding place.” She said with a soft giggle, her voice loving as she walked forward to retrieve the creature. She picked it up in her arms a moment and cuddled it like an infant, nuzzling her cheek against it. She hushed it softly and soon the rodent was quite content playing with one of her silver hair bands as it nestled into her arms. She smiled and kissed it's forehead before she crouched down.

”Please allow me the gift of your waters... I thank you for your kindness.” She said softly, for she had learned that it paid to be kind. Only then did she duck her hand into the water to take a dip sip. She let out an appreciative sigh as she enjoyed it for a moment before she turned to look towards her companion. She gave the male a familiar, sad smile before she indicated the water for him to get a drink too. Guilt lingered in her eyes as she looked at him... it often did.

Naru stood close to Sophia, watching her somewhat, but mostly watching their surroundings. His lavender kimono was kept tightly closed about his body by a wide belt, and a slight smile twitched at his lips at the antics of Sophia's ferret friend. Naru rather liked the little ferret, though he liked most of nature and animals, he was also rather fond of Sophia. When she gave him that sad smile, he answered it with a soft one of his own. He just wished her smile didn't have that sadness in it, she was such a kind person. Naru wanted to keep her safe, and take away her pain.

When she motioned towards the water, he moved towards it. Kneeling carefully by the edge so he could lean down and cup some of the water in his hands to drink. It was nice and refreshing, the way fresh water always is. He closed his eyes a moment, enjoying the taste and feel of the fresh water, before he drank another scooped up handful. Naru tried not to think of the guilt that lingered in her eyes when she had looked at him, there was no need for such an emotion. She didn't need to feel guilty towards him or apologize, he would always willingly take her pain from her. After taking a few drinks of the water, he stood, wipping his kimono off slightly.

It didn't really seem like optimal travel gear, but Naru was more than capable of traveling comfortably in such clothing. He could even fight competently in it, though fighting was not something he really wanted to do, unless it meant keeping Sophia safe and protected. He looked around a bit, those ears twitching, straining to catch sounds of danger.

"We should probably refill our supply while we're here." She said softly, that smile of his causing a flicker of guilt. She had been particularly rough on him the last feeding, for having gone to long she supposed, so when he gave her such kind smiles she always felt she didn't deserve them but at that moment even more then usual. Thanks to those feedings water was the only mortal need she retained, to keep her blood flowing and cool she supposed. She always felt cold since the curse though so it was hard to tell, the only warmth coming from the pain of another's body while it was pressed against hers as she inflicted ills against it. She had began to hate that heat even as she craved it and needed it to survive. The woman sighed softly and filled the canteens silently. she always kept more then she needed really, as water helped cool her down and stave off the hunger but did not fully conquer it. Even now she felt that part of her desire his blood, his cries....... well anyone's really. To distract herself from the morbid thoughts she continued to speak to change the subject.

"Do you think we should rest here for the evening? It seems a good clearing to the right here, and if we perch on that rock formation we shouldn't have to worry about being in anythings way or snakes accidentally crawling in." She said softly, in that odd lyrical voice of hers. The musical quality never left it, even if she didn't really sing much anymore except should Naru ask her too. She didn't really need to fear the snakes or things either... no they needed to fear her. When she slept she was her most easily startled like anything else, and it was easy for that evil inside to reach out at such things to torture them with her touch.

She finally turned from the water at the last canteen and gave him a shy smile as she waited for his answer. She tried not to look to closely at anything but his eyes. She always trusted those kind eyes, and relished the moments she could see them without pain. She petted her ferret absently on it's spot against her shoulder where it had crawled up to while she worked. She did wonder if there were any others nearby... for all the talk of forest folk she really hadn't seen any. She wondered if they too instinctively avoided her. It would be logical, such things could often feel the taint of curses.

There didn't seem to be much danger in this forest. He looked their surroundings over a little more carefully when she mentioned resting there for the evening. Naru nodded slightly. "It seems more than adequate enough for us." His eyes lingered on the rock formation for a few moments, then those yellow eyes turned to her. "Do you require anything?" Such a simple question, though one that put a hint of eagerness in his eyes. A part of him liked the pain and crying out for her, just simply because a part of him liked to be put through pain.

Most of him just enjoyed it for the simple fact that it took away her own pain, though there seemed to be nothing he could do about the guilt. He would keep his eyes on her, a slight smile on his lips, as he waited for her answer. Last time had been rather rough, but that was alright. Naru couldn't help but wonder how rough it would be next time. He was almost anticipating it, almost eager for it.

"Well a little help with the sleeping bags I suppose..." She said softly, her eyes briefly leaving his as if to avoid the unspoken question. She wasn't hungry she told herself, just tired. Of course, a part of her knew that wasn't so. She was always hungry, it was the nature of the curse that dark one had given her in revenge for spurning his affections. She wouldn't give into it more then absolutely necessary however, even if it made her grow paler and weaker with each day she ignored it. She wanted the bruises and cuts from the last to fade at least before she took again. So instead she simply handed him his sleeping mat and headed for the rock formation.

Once she had climbed the surface of the rocks with a few quick nimble jumps she was soon sweeping away the leaves and debris she found. She didn't think a tent would be necessary, the sky was clear and the night air pleasant. She simply needed to use a few waves of her hand and her specialty of wind spells to clean the stones. She finished the work quickly and soon was laying out her bag. She always left him to choose how close he slept, despite the danger of possibly turning over in a daze and striking out. She couldn't refuse him that... then again there was little she could refuse him. She owed him to much. She had called someone to kill her, to end her before she brought harm and he had saved her instead. Sometimes she wondered if he regretted it but she was always to afraid to ask.

"This forest really is as beautiful as the rumors said, don't you think?" She said to the fox absently and glanced at him to give him a small smile. As she did so her ferret leapt on her bag to sleep and she sat down. She would begin to get out a small journal where she began to jot down a mini 'map' of the area. She compared to find a few small changes in the trees, a new clearing that had once been densely packed. It seemed the rumors about walking trees was true as well...

Naru nodded slightly as she avoided the real question. It was alright, he wouldn't push such a thing, at least, not right now. He took the sleeping mat when she handed it to him and watched her as she moved towards the rock formation and then up it. He followed. Once a top the formation he laid his mat close to hers. Truthfully he didn't like being very far from her, it was harder to protect her if he was to far away to get to her in time. He sat down on his mat, and when she pulled out the small journal and began to jot down the map, he peered over her shoulder.

"It is a lovely place." He spoke the words softly, and then looked around once again before looking back over her shoulder. It was the kind of place he wouldn't mind living in, but traveling with Sophia wasn't bad either. Naru had no regrets, truthfully, at least. None that concerned Sophia, if she ever asked, he would tell her. He would speak the words easily and truthfully because they were true. He offered her another soft smile. "Are you sure you don't need anything else?" He tilted his head slightly to the side, watching her.

She nodded as he spoke and felt him move to look over her shoulder. She leaned into him like one would a large teddy bear, relaxing a little like a child might. She was a little older then she looked but fairly naive as she had long suppressed her sexual side to suppress how much damage the curse could do so she thought nothing of such contact. She was just cuddling with someone she enjoyed the company of in perfect innocence as she had before. She looked up at him a moment then as he spoke again and she shrugged a little before looking away. She pointed to a group of trees she'd drawn the night before.

"Look, these trees moved from yesterday. The rumors are true. I wonder if the trees could lead us to the elven village." She said simply as if trying to change the subject even as she grinned at him. She knew he didn't mind feeding her, but his cries of pain were enough she didn't want to do it. She wanted to put it off... at least until his lip healed. She wanted to heal him, not make him hurt... but she was afraid to touch his injuries lest the blood set her off.

Naru didn't mind the way she leaned against him. There was an innocence to it, almost childlike innocence. She was evading his question again, and he decided not to push the issue. It was rather nice, just being like this, it seemed to make her happy and really, wasn't that all that mattered? Her safety, her happiness, those were the important things. At least to him they were, it was his duty to take away her pain. When she pointed, he followed her finger with his eyes, studying the trees she had indicated almost carefully. He was a spirit of nature, and he was quick to trust in nature before trusting in other people, especially when it came to those around Sophia, but even moving forests made him somewhat suspicious.

"To the village, or lead us in circles for a millennium. So far though, I don't think the trees mean us any harm. As long as we remain respectful to nature, it should return that respect. Unless this place holds some kind of taint that isn't obvious to us." The words were spoken softly, and he kept his eyes on the trees. The stories were true, he'd had a feeling they might be. "Perhaps on the morrow if we ask kindly enough, the trees will show us the way." Now he turned his head to look at her, that soft smile on his lips.

"They seem... pretty silent but it's worth a try. The worst they can do is refuse but I don't mind spending some time here. This forest is really pretty and makes me feel like things will stay... safe somehow..." She responded after a moment's thought. She smiled softly and simply leaned against him as she looked at the trees. She was watching how the gold light seemed to glimmer even as the sky darkened slightly. It was nearing sunset now... but it was so pretty to watch the changing light. She closed her eyes then as she felt the evening breeze start, her nose taking in the scent of all the beautiful flowers. It was just so pretty here! Even the air seemed filled with the blessings of some divine hand. It did make her wonder though and for a moment a bit of regret touched her.

"Do you ever miss it? Being able to run in places like this... free?" She asked softly, her eyes opening look at the forest floor from their perch. She knew he was a nature spirit... but she'd never really asked about his history. Surely he had ot have time he could simply exist in such a beautiful natural place and guard it instead? She wished she could help him sometimes instead of hurting him as she often so did. She would have to soon... in a few days...

Adax had a very bad feeling this forest was trying to kill him. Well....not directly. Nothing had actually tried to do him any real harm. The worst he had experienced was a few dirty looks from what he assumed were some of this wood's guardian spirits. No, his assumption now was the fact that this was the fifth time in a week he had been double backed to this river. He let out a very loud sigh, black closing as he flopped down at the bank.

After a moment he opened his eyes and stared at the swirling water, scanning it for movement. It didn't take long before he noticed the glassy eyes watching him, what appeared to be head made of the water itself poking from the liquid not far from the shore. The head was partly submerge, only the vague shape of a nose and those glass eyes poking above the water. The necromancer blinked before, cautiously, removed his canteen from his second bag. "Will...you get angry if I take some water?" he asked, voice a tad hesitant. The creature was silent before it turned, fusing with the water and swimming down the river. "I...am going to assume no..." He was still cautious as he dipped his flask, ready for any sudden retaliation. Fairies were tricksters by nature and it was never wise to be off one's guard. When nothing happened he sighed and capped his canteen, returning it to his bag before dipping his hand to take a quick sip.

As he sat there, grumbling and bemoaning hid predicament, a sound reached his ears. He turned his head, blinking downstream. Those were....voices. They were faint but there. With a grunt he stood and began to walk, heading in the direction of what he hoped were people. The thought of company after weeks of loneliness was almost too good to pass up.

][Hi Hidden, it's been awhile. <3][

Naru's arms wrapped protectively around Sophia, the action was less deliberate and more subconscious, as she continued to lean against him. "Nature likes being respected, I'm confident that as long as we ask respectfully and kindly they will answer us...though I can't guarantee it." His ears twitched slightly, though no significant sound came to them. Just sounds of forest, like any other forest. His eyes were on the sky, watching as the light changed with the setting of the sun.

A slight shrug was the first answer to her question. "No, I don't miss it, besides if I wanted to run around a tree and chase my tail, I'm sure you'd let me." There was a chuckle in his voice and his arms squeezed her reassuringly. "It was an empty life, though perhaps not completely, now I feel as if my life has more meaning. You have given that to me, I can never thank you enough for such a thing and I doubt you can fully understand what such a gift means to me." He lowered his head slightly, nuzzling her gently. An animalistic gesture of appreciation. His fox tail twitched slightly behind him.

He remained like that for a few moments, his head resting against her, when his ears twitched. Catching the sound of footfalls. Naru moved, his arms sliding away from Sophia and his body tensed slightly, he stood, his eyes narrowing as he looked in the direction the sound came from. They would come into view very soon, the sound didn't seem far away. "Someone's approaching." His tone had become almost cold.

She nodded as he spoke of the trees, still gazing at them thoughtfully. She had a feeling the trees were tricksters too but it was worth a try. She wouldn't mind being lost in this forest a while... as long as she had Naru. She wouldn't have to worry about hurting anyone else then either. As he spoke of just that, of his purpose, she couldn't help but glance at him. The spell was one to end her by calling a protector of nature to destroy her, but had called someone to take her pain instead of inflict it on her. To this day she felt as if someone or something had changed the spell and felt conflicted about it.

Still before she could say anything he held her tightly and nuzzled her. With a blush she felt herself leaning into him and enjoyed the feeling it gave her. As she felt her mind go elsewhere and the curse increase her desire to feed on his pain at feeling close to another, at feeling any sort of positive emotion towards the others like love. She pulled away from him then shortly after the nuzzle and took a few deep breaths. She nodded as he spoke again and looked around her to see where the new presence was coming from. She didn't want ot hurt him... she needed a moment to steady herself.

((Indeed it has!))

Adax continued along, scanning the shore and the woods beyond. The voices had stopped a bit ago and he began to wonder if it was just the gourd whispering. He finally stopped near a large rock formation, looking around before finally sighing, lifting his hands and pulling his hood further down over his head. "Stop hoping...." he hissed, glaring at the ground. "You don't even deserve to be near anyone." He sighed again before plopping down, glaring at the river. Maybe he should just get up and walk. Pick a direction and move. One way or another he'll find his way out.

Naru's position had shifted, bringing him to a crouch so he could creep to the edge of the rock formation that he and Sophia rested on. He could see the other approach now, and those yellow eyes of his narrowed slightly. Immediately defensive, ears twitching as he watched the other approach their rock formation. Those eyes narrowed a bit more when the other sat down, talking to himself and Naru picked up a small rock. He glanced at Sophia for a moment, to see what she might do.

It was his duty to protect her from this stranger, but not only that, he needed to protect the stranger from Sophia. Of course, the way Naru went about such things made it seem like he was only concerned for Sophia. He gripped the rock tightly for a few moments and then dropped it. Gravity should bring it down to hit the man on the head, it wasn't a big rock. Most likely it would hurt a bit, but it shouldn't leave a bruise or incapacitate the man. His ears were flat against his head and he was growling softly. Trying to appear menacing for when the man would undoubtedly look up to find where the rock came from.

Adax heard a shifting above him, the man tilting his head upward as the curiosity hit him. He yelled out as pain shot through his forehead, the necromancer immediately curling up on himself and clutching his head. He cursed loudly in his native tongue, the sounds a tad harsh. His head shot up, anger obvious on his face. He spotted the man glowering down at him, the soft sound of growling hitting the necromancer's ears. "That was rude you little welp!" he hissed, his anger obvious as he stood, turning toward the rock and giving the man with the silver hair a glower of his own, his coal eyes narrowed. "Now....is there something you want?" he asked, voice low.

Of course it was rude, that was why Naru had done it. It was a little amusing to be called 'little' anything, Naru was probably older than this man below him, he knew he appeared to be young by human standards. Twenty something, and that was fine with him, no one needed to know how old he truly was or that he was a nature spirit. Naru growled again, his ears still flat against his head. "You're too close, go sit somewhere else." The man was too close. Too close to Sophia. Even though he was below them, it was still too close for Naru's liking. He had to protect Sophia, after all, and the best way of doing that was to keep people from getting close enough to hurt her. At least, that was how Naru thought, that, and it was also protecting the stranger. Still it was mostly for Sophia's sake and not the strangers. "Far to close. Go sit somewhere else, old man." Naru's tone held annoyance in it as he spoke, watching the man as if the other's mere existence annoyed him to no end.

Sophia spent some time sitting perched at the hidden corner of their rock, her arms around herself as she suppressed the urge to hurt him... to reach out and rake her nails across his flesh just to see him bleed. She soon regained her control but looked a little pale and her eyes seemed darker somehow. She took a few deep breaths and moved to give a timid touch against Naru's shoulder with her finger tips. She would wait for him to look at her and if he did shake her head. He didn't need to throw rocks... that was just mean. Of course her mind briefly had gone somewhere else, to the idea of hitting the kitsune next to her with one. She pushed it away, ignoring the fact that the sharp pain below her as the rock had hurt the other male her companion was currently irritating had sent a wave of hunger through her for a moment.

Adax blinked, face twisting from anger confused annoyance. Move? No he definitely wasn't going to move now. His face twisted again, a spiteful smile curling his face as he sat back down, crossing his legs and giving the animal-eared boy a defiant look. "No I think I like this spot," he said, voice almost childish and sing songy. The comment about him being old only furthered his resolve, prompting him to shift one of his bags over to him, removing a small knife and a slightly whittled chunk of wood. He began to whittle the small little cylinder, starting to whistle a tune as he did so. He did not notice the other's companion. She was just out of his sight.

Naru's nose wrinkled in disdain, his brow furrowing, but his attention moved to Sophia when she touched his shoulder. His expression softening considerably as he looked upon her. When she shook her head at him, he very nearly pouted. "But.." He didn't push the issue, she seemed a little paler. "Very well then. We should just ignore him, maybe then he'll go away." He glanced from Sophia down to the man who was now whittling, a sour expression on Naru's face when he glanced at that man. That expression was gone when his attention turned back to Sophia. "Are you well? Please don't hesitate if you need anything from me." His tone was so much lighter, softer when he spoke to her, than when he had spoken few words to the stranger. There was a slight emphasis on the word 'anything' and he knew she would know what he meant, even without the emphasis.

Adax's whistling stopped when the boy continued talking. Usually this wouldn't have phased him but the other obviously wasn't talking to him. There seemed to be concern in that voice. He couldn't hear the words very well, but the tone was very clear. He placed his figurine and the knife to the side, standing with as light huff and moving toward the rock, looking up it. With a sniff he latched to the foothold and, albeit rusty in his skill, scaled the the stone surface. He peeked over, eyes widening. "Not alone?" he asked, giving a glance to the other. "She looks sick...no wonder you were spitting at me..." His voice was low, a thought spoken out loud.